Spontaneous rodent nervous system tumors, in comparison to those of man, are less well differentiated. Among the central nervous system (CNS) tumors, the "embryonic" forms (medulloblastoma, pineoblastoma) occur both in rodents and humans, whereas the human "adult" forms (gliomas, ependymomas, meningiomas)

An immunocytochemical technique was described to test for immunoreactive prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) in spontaneous and experimentally induced hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the prostate and mammary gland. The dog was used as an animal model. The specificity and validity of the immunocytochemical staining procedure and of the antisera to canine PRL and canine GH can be regarded as established for the demonstration of PRL- and GH-dependent staining respectively. In mammary and prostatic tissues, both endogenous PRL and GH as well as intracellular free binding sites (for exogenous PRL and GH) were detected immunocytochemically. The technique presented seems to be an important tool to localize putative target sites for pituitary hormones in hormone-dependent hyperplasia and neoplasia.

Using the immunoperoxidase technique and specific goat anti-serum to uteroglobin, selective immunochemical staining products are localized in the epididymal epithelium of the caput and proximal corpus region, at the adluminal border of the cauda epididymidis and, as well known, in epithelial cells of the endometrium of pregnant and progesterone-treated rabbits. Specific staining is also seen on spermatozoa. A uteroglobin-like antigen has been similarly localized in alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells of the lung. Testis, prostate, seminal vesicle and ductus deferens do not seem to contain in their tissues immunoreactive uteroglobin-like antigens. Similarly, the uterus and ductus epididymidis of immature rabbits are devoid of immunoreactivity. The presence of uteroglobin-like antigens in tissues other than the endometrium, particularly the ductus epididymidis, stimulates new discussions on the function of this protein in reproductive physiology and fertility research.

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The antiandrogen, cyproterone acetate (CPA), prevents development of prostatic hyperplasia, induced in castrated dogs by a 6 month-treatment with 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol (A)alone or in combination with 17 beta-oestradiol (E2). The immunoperoxidase technique was used to study functional cell types in the pars distalis of the pituitary gland and to detect growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) target sites in the prostate gland. Homologous radioimmunoassays for estimation of serum canine GH and PRL concentrations were also performed. Treatment with the combinations A + E2 and A + E2 + CPA resulted in morphological indications of stimulated GH and PRL cells and depressed gonadotrophs. This correlates well with an increase in PRL-dependent staining in glandular epithelium and fibromuscular tissue of the prostate gland. However, basal serum PRL and GH levels were not significantly affected. Treatment with A and A + E2 stimulated, while additional treatment with CPA clearly suppressed adrenocorticotrophin/melanotrophin (ACTH/MSH) cells. These findings indicate that an endocrine imbalance in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function may be involved in induction and prevention of prostatic hyperplasia in the dog.

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